Stoneshield Capital Creates Catalonia First Innovation Hub
This move marks the foundation of Catalonia’s first science and innovation hub, Barcelona Science Innovation District (BaSID), with an investment exceeding €200 million. Noteworthy acquisitions include the Il·lumina property in Esplugues de Llobregat and Bayer’s in San Juan Despí, central to fostering BaSID as Catalonia’s specialized Life Science and innovation campus.
Javier de Pablo, co-CEO of DeepLabs, highlighted the initiative to position Barcelona as a leading science and innovation hub. BaSID will provide cutting-edge laboratories and scientific facilities to address the current space shortage in Spain. The aim is to offer top-tier installations to science and innovation leaders within a collaborative ecosystem that fosters partnerships among scientists, universities, entrepreneurs, and industry-leading companies.
Bayer remains a key tenant in BaSID, occupying about half of the hub’s space and maintaining its Spanish headquarters there. The facility is recognized for its sustainability and efficiency, achieving emission neutrality in 2022 through initiatives like solar panels and rainwater recovery. BaSID’s location near Barcelona’s Scientific Park and other biotech and pharmaceutical companies, as well as academic and hospital environments, is expected to enhance collaboration with local talent and researchers.
DeepLabs’ commitment to Spain’s Life Science sector is evidenced by the development of innovation districts like MaSID, Spain’s first Life Science district. MaSID houses a community of over 3,000 professionals across biotech, aerospace, and biomedicine in Tres Cantos, Madrid, with 70,000 square meters of advanced laboratory and development spaces. This pioneering approach by DeepLabs introduces a new level of scientific hub in Spain, enhancing the competitiveness of the Life Science and innovation sector.
